Bulgaria's Bokova sees manipulation in race to be UN chief

Bulgaria’s Irina Bokova on Thursday hits back at reports of corruption in the UN agency she has been running for seven years, branding them an attack aimed at undermining her bid to become the next UN chief. The director of the UN cultural agency UNESCO is considered a strong contender to become the first woman at the helm of the United Nations when Ban Ki-moon steps down on January 1 next year. The 63-year-old former acting foreign minister is touting her experience as the head of UNESCO in her campaign, but the allegations of mismanagement are casting a pall.